title: Effect of using bedside leukocyte filter on pulmonary functions in patients with thalassemia major.
abstract: In settings of limited health resources, using leukocyte-filtered blood is limited to patients with leukocyte-mediated complications. The aim of this study was to determine the patterns of lung dysfunction among patients with β-thalassemia major (BTM) after the application of the leukostop filter during transfusion for a period of 6 months. The study included 30 patients with transfusion-dependent BTM divided into two groups according to the use of leukocyte filter. Group I included 15 patients with BTM allocated to use the leukocyte filter before each blood transfusion for 6 months and group II included 15 patients with BTM using nonleukocyte-filtered blood. Patients with history of airway disease and smokers were excluded. Chest X-ray and pulmonary function tests (PFT) using spirometry were done for each patient at baseline and after the use of the leukocyte filter for 6 months. No significant difference was found at baseline PFTs in both groups, the distribution of obstructive pulmonary disease significantly improved in group I in the postfilter evaluation, P < 0.05, however no change in pulmonary disease distribution in group II. A statistical significance improvement in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1st second (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC in postfilter evaluation, while in group II a decline in FEV1, FVC, and no significant change in FEV1/FVC ratio. There was no correlation between serum ferritin and PFT results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pulmonary function abnormalities, although subclinical is not an infrequent finding in patients with BTM; leukofiltred blood may improve PFT.
authors.affiliation: Hematology-Oncology Unit, Pediatric Department, Ain Shams University , Cairo , Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed El Saiid
authors.initials: Ael S
authors.lastname: Hamed
authors.forename: Iman Ahmed
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ragab
authors.forename: Terez Boshra
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Kamel
authors.forename: Alia Osama Ali
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Abd-El-Gawad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006440:Hemofiltration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy